Search - Full Moon, Vol. 1: I Want to Sing on DVD

My all time favorite anime

Izak Loftus | Carson City, MI | 06/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have to tell you right now that I've seen probably 30 or so complete anime series and out of all of them, this is my favorite. I've seen all 52 episodes and I have to say that it might be a bit slow paced, but once it gets going, it just takes off running and the show just keeps getting better and better as it goes along. The series is basically about a 12 year old girl named Mitsuki who really wants to become a singer more than anything else in the world, but she has a malignant tumor in her throat that must be surgically removed soon. Mitsuki really refuses having the surgery, though, because there is a chance that she might lose her voice completely if they remove the tumor. Then these two shinigami (or "death gods"), Takuto and Meroko, show up (and they're both absoutely hilarious and not frightening like their name, by the way) and tell Mitsuki that she has one more year left to live. So Takuto helps Mitsuki become a singer like she's always dreamed by transforming her into a 16-year-old and she auditions for this huge record deal contest and wins. She names her stage persona "Full Moon" and starts releasing music from her heart. She wants to use the time she has left to sing and she hopes that her childhood love, Eichi (who now lives in America), will be able to hear her voice and her songs and reach him.



I have not viewed the dub yet as I have not purchased this DVD, but I can tell you that that original Japanese version is superb with creative and beautifully sung songs and really heartfelt voice acting by Myco (Mitsuki's seiyuu, or voice actor). The songs are performed by Changin' My Life, whose lead singer and writer of the lyrics is Myco and you can tell that they put a lot of time into the songs that are shown as Mitsuki's singles throughout the series. Although I think only one song, New Future, is shown in this volume, there are many others. This is a series that you really have to stick with, no matter how slow paced it might be, because the rewards in the long run are countless.



I really do not cry during anime series, I think I've only cried at maybe one or two final episodes of a series before, but not really that much. This series, however, was a TEAR JERKER for me. I seriously would break down every few episodes or so, especially in the second half of the series. Just how Mitsuki's emotions are conveyed and her memories with her (sort of) boyfriend Eichi and her longing to see him again just tugged at my heartstrings hard. I really can't give anything away, but the series really made me cry towards the end and the final episode still to this day makes me cry in a happy way. And I never cry when I'm happy. This series can awaken emotions in you that you never felt could be awakened and although it's much slower and more filler than the manga is, I like it MUCH better than the manga (which I've also fully read) because it's a bit lighter in tone and the way the story is handled (especially towards the end) is more touching and sentimental. I recommend this series if you like comedies (because it gets pretty damn funny at times), romantic dramas, or fantasy/magical girl anime. But the magical girl part, I must stress, is NOT the core of the story. It's really used as an afterthought (unlike a series like Sailor Moon, another one of my favorites by the way, where the main core of the show IS the fact that they are magical girls) and a plot device rather than being a crucial part of the story. The crucial, main point of the story is really Mitsuki's illness and her relationships with Takuto and Meroko and her longing for her lost love Eichi.



Again, I can not stress enough how great this series is. If you think you might like it, then just try it. It'll be SO worth it and it might just change your life and the way you think. The only gripe I have about it though is that apparently these DVDs are only going to be released every 3 or 4 months and with 4 episodes per DVD, it's going to take 3 1/2 to 4 years to release all 52 episodes. That's Viz's fault for distributing them so far apart, it's pretty ridiculous. If you love the series though, it's really worth the wait. Enjoy."

An excellent series

Janet L. Nolan | Chandler, AZ | 06/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All Mitsuki Koyama wants to do more than anything else in the world is sing. She faces a few obsticles, though. First, she's too young to make the auditions; second, her grandmother and guardian hates music and anything or anyone associated with it; and she is suffering from throat cancer.

Her life changes with the appearance of a pair of shinigami (death gods) whom only she can see. Mitsuki ends up living a double life, trying to balance the life of a grade school student and a new singing idol, all while keeping secrets from most everyone.

The shinigamis gave her only a year to live. How long can she keep things going?

This is an excellent story. It can get intensely emotional at times, though, so parents should prescreen for younger viewers."

Beautiful and touching!!

HatsumiShinogu | Orange County, California | 10/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I watched the first two volumes of this anime and I can say that it is hooking and interesting that I couldn't get enough of it. Ok! I know that the English dub is horrible, so I went for the Japanese language with the English subtitles. I always go for the Japanese with the English subtitles because it sounds more original. If you can just overlook the English dub, you will love this anime for sure.



The story is about a 12-year-old Mitsuki who wants desperately to become a singer, so she can fulfill her promise to her first love, Eichi. She always wanted to be a singer but her grandmother is against her dream because she is blaming Mitsuki's father who used to be a singer, for her daughter's death. There is another problem, which is that she has a malignant tumor in her throat and she has to go through an operation but she might lose her voice with this operation, so she refuses to go through with it.

That's when she met the two death spirits, Takuto and Meroko. Takuto will make her into a beautiful 16-year-old girl in order to have a chance in the audition and she won. She then decided on her stage name to be, Full Moon.



I wonder what will happen with Mitsuki and Takuto because it seems that Takuto has a crush on her. I like Takuto so much and I wish that he and Mitsuki will end up together.



I liked the Ending theme, "New Future" of the first six episodes. It is so beautiful.



If you're interested, you can also read the manga. I have all the volumes except for the final seventh volume, which is going to be released this month. There is a slight difference between the manga and the anime in some of the scenes but I liked the anime more.



Try to watch it and you are not going to regret it, if you can just overlook the English dub."

Simply amazing

Critical Thinker | USA | 07/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've watched a lot of anime in both english dub and subtitled. To me everything is perfect about this series. Mitsuki Kouyama is such an innocent character that you'll fall in love with because she's so dedicated to her singing that she'll risk her life for it. Takuto and Meroko are quite a pair too. Meroko means well but she always causes trouble for poor Mitsuki and is often the comic relief. It may be a little slow paced at times, but overall it is one of the best anime if you're into romance with the typical drama. It is more upbeat than the manga though, and there are significant differences, but sometimes you may need some tissues handy. ;)



I've only seen the first couple episodes in english so far, but I love the voices. They fit so perfectly! This is a must buy. They didn't dub the songs though, prob because they couldn't possibly compare to the originol! Anywayz you won't be disappointed. =)"